On March 23rd, 1779 during the war of the Revolution, the
Continental Congress, by resolution authorized and directed
the Commander-in-Chief to prescribe the uniform, both as to
color and facings, for the regiments of the New Jersey
Continental Line.

In accordance with this resolution, General Washington, in
General Orders dated Army Headquarters, New Windsor, New
York, October 2nd, 1779, directed that the coats for such
regiments should be dark blue, faced with buff.

On February 28th, 1780, the Continental War Officers in
Philadelphia directed that each of said regiments should have
two flags, viz: one the United States flag and the other a
State flag, the ground to be of the color of the facing.
Thus the State flag of New Jersey became the beautiful and
historic buff, as selected for it by the Father of His
Country, and it was displayed in view of the combined French
and American armies in the great culminating event of the War
of the Revolution, the capitulation of a British army under
Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis at Yorktown.

The same color has been prescribed for the state flag of New
York, where a law requires it to be displayed with the United
States flag over the capital when the legislature is in
session.

The inquiry arises, why did General Washington select the
beautiful historic buff facings exclusively for the
Continental lines of New York and New Jersey when such
facings were only prescribed for his own uniform and that of
other Continental general officers and their aides-de-camp?

He evidently made the selection not only designedly, but for
historic reasons. New York and New Jersey had originally
been settled by the Dutch. Dark blue (Jersey blue) and buff
were Holland or Netherlands insignia.

The Governor as commander-in-chief represents the State of
New Jersey, and should have a prescribed headquarters flag,
different from that used by infantry, cavalry or artillery.

In custom, every state Governor has one, but the propriety of
an enactment on the subject is obvious.